Nathan Peterman’s severe inability to play quarterback is why we love him

In fairness to Nathan Peterman, playing quarterback in the NFL isn’t easy. While there are just 32 starting jobs available, fans could only really look at half of those players and be somewhat content with their team’s quarterback. It’s easy to be a mediocre quarterback in the NFL, but it’s an accomplishment to be so bad that fans find it endearing.

Nathan Peterman, AKA “The Peter Man”, is that bad, and that experience was on full display Sunday. Things started OK. After he came in for an injured Josh Allen, Peterman threw a touchdown pass that put the Bills up, 13-10.

But then 12 minutes later — the score tied at 13, and the Bills on their own 28-yard line — he went full Peter Man with a pick-six.

That’s part of what makes Peterman entertaining. We knew disaster was coming, it was just a matter of when. He even put a cherry on top of the performance with another interception on the very next possession. Fans know what they’re getting out of him, and we thoroughly enjoy the product.

In 2017, Peterman replaced Tyrod Taylor as the Bills’ starter while the team was 5-4 and in the middle of a playoff chase. He stole our hearts and sent NFL fans into laughing fits when he threw five interceptions in just 14 pass attempts in a Week 11 loss to the Chargers. The rate at which he threw interceptions was an exercise in mediocrity unlike any other, and evolved him from mere mortal “Nathan Peterman” to “The Peter Man”.

Nathan Peterman is a run-of-the-mill fifth-round pick out of Pittsburgh, which isn’t very interesting. The Peter Man, however, hands out interceptions like Halloween candy, and we are in season.

To no surprise, Peterman was quickly benched after his colossal shitting of the bed. He became the first player to throw five interceptions in the first half of a game since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

After Taylor got the Bills to the postseason for the first time in 20 years, they traded him to the Browns in March. The Bills then drafted Josh Allen, but Peterman was named the starter to open the 2018 season.

That tenure didn’t last long, either. The Bills got mollywhopped by the Ravens in a 47-3 loss in which the Bills turned to Allen down, 40-0. In his second chance this past Sunday, well, we got what we expected. And we’re pretty happy about it!

I should also make one thing perfectly clear here: I — and I would wager most others — are not rooting for Peterman to fail because we don’t like him. It’s just that his levels of bad are so severe that he’s hard not to love. That sounds cruel, but there’s nothing like the full Peter Man experience.

For instance, Blake Bortles can also be quite terrible. But his levels of bad are hardly so bad that it’s hilarious. That’s what separates Peterman from the rest of the quarterbacks you’ve made fun of in some capacity for not being good.

At his best worst, Peterman is one of the most unifying forces in the NFL. His blooper-heavy play puts NFL fans (minus the Buffalo faithful) in a collective place of merriment.

That’s a gift, even if it’s more of a curse for him personally.